We call these beads our Afghani eggs - and they’re among our favourites!!
Because these beads are handmade, there are some slight variations in size.
Each bead in this collection contain a delicate circular silver wire-whipped filigree frame, which is wrapped around Jasper coloured enamel (to resemble gemstones).
Tribal and ethnic in every sense, these beads have been crafted by the nomadic Turkoman people – an ethnic group native to Central Asia and living mainly in Turkmenistan and the north eastern regions of Afghanistan and Iran.
And there’s no question they can be used to create amazing ethnic-inspired statement jewellery items such as earrings, necklaces, bracelets or even an anklet.
They are hollow, smooth in texture and each bead is individually hand-made in the Turkoman style with an embossed floral-like silver end cap. The beads are often used as currency when trading for goods.
The 10 beads weigh in at about 30 grams and cost $3.00 each.
All our ethnic Turkoman beads contain a decent 3-4mm top-drill hole which is suitable for threading with round leather, tigertail or craftline (similar to fishing line).
Bear in mind these beads are not mass produced; they have been hand-made, contain some imperfections and are age-worn.
What’s so remarkable and unique about these beads is that the Turkoman artisans of today have crafted them by using the same traditional tools and by adopting similar methods as their ancestors have done for centuries.
Please note, the accompanying images may have been enlarged to show detail, while colours may vary slightly due to lighting variants.